Here's how you can distinguish yourself from your peers and secure a promotion as a leader.

When you are working your way up from the bottom, having a vision that creates motivation is important but motivation isn’t enough. It needs to be so compelling that it creates a desire to stay the course, which goes beyond motivation, to discipline and resilience. This requires a vision that we can embrace!

Embrace, communicate, and then over-communicate the organizational vision. You can’t do this if you don’t deeply believe in it. High level positions are not gifts, they are (costly!) rewards for a deep level of commitment, almost over the top. “Every business needs a few fanatics…” is common at the top. So before you decide you really want that promotion make sure your personal values and moral code is fully aligned with the organization. This true commitment allows you to be fully authentic in how you share/reshare/reinforce the vision. Your support of the BRAND and all of its implications will absolutely facilitate moving higher in the organizations structure. Be sure that’s what you want, as it gets pretty intense the further up you go.

Building relationships could be as simple as greeting your colleagues with a smile as you pass by them each day. That usually breaks the ice with the new joiners, makes it easier for peers to approach for any required support, enhances the collaborative attitude in the organisation, also inculcates a healthy learning culture, which boosts the personality of each employee, along with their career growth.

Build a habit of always improving your understanding what is most important for people. Use the following three methods: 1) Listen - with the intent to understand, not to reply. Let them paint a picture of their mental landscape. 2) Ask - ask directly whenever the opportunity arises "What is most important for you now?" 3) Observe - see the context, see what people actually do, see how the environment influences them. If you build up this 3-part habit you'll become much better at building relationships (instead of weakening them through actions that do not respect what is most important for your co-workers).

Building strong relationships within your organization is essential. Engage with peers, subordinates, and superiors to foster a supportive and collaborative network. For instance, at Network Perception, I led cross-functional teams to optimize product portfolios and drive new customer acquisition. Sometimes, these connections extend beyond work, creating a more cohesive and motivated team. By being approachable and willing to assist, you become a valuable resource and build a reputation for effective teamwork. These interpersonal skills are crucial for leadership roles, which often demand cross-departmental cooperation and team management.

The toughest assignments you ever get carry the greatest opportunity. Better to be a builder that fixes chaos than someone who is rattled with a lack of process and structure. I’ve seen many executives avoid the “bad” or really tough projects. Usually, they don’t want to be connected to a “failure” so they avoid the risk. Taking these challenges on and handling them builds your business reputation as someone who executes, GSD, makes things happen. Execution (and RESULTS) in the face of adversity grows you, your capacity, and your runway. It’s okay to be nervous or afraid - action in spite of that is called courage and it fortifies your executive profile. So, take the toughest jobs and find a way.

In my experience if you make your boss look like a hero, he/she will reciprocate. It’s called leading without a title and you do this by doing the things that no one else wants to do and turning the mundane into something extraordinary. When you deliver the results, the results will deliver you to the next level.

In my experience if you make your boss look like a hero, he/she will reciprocate. It’s called leading without a title and you do this by doing the things that no one else wants to do and turning the mundane into something extraordinary. When you deliver the results, the results will deliver you to the next level.

One quality of outstanding leaders are defined by their ability to deliver results. Embrace challenging projects that significantly impact the business and ensure their successful completion. For example, at Jockey International, We led a team to develop new business strategies for the TARGET account we managed and added to our account portfolio resulting in substantial incremental revenue growth. These achievements highlight not only your competence but also your ability to foster an inclusive environment where all voices matter. Amplified results come from a team that feels valued and heard, making a strong case for your promotion.

During my time at Jockey International, we were striving to expand our market reach and appeal to a younger demographic. I encouraged my team to think outside the box and come up with innovative strategies. One of the ideas was to launch a limited-edition line of eco-friendly apparel, leveraging sustainable materials and modern designs. This was a new direction for us, involving significant investment and a departure from our traditional products. Despite the risks, I championed the project. The initiative not only attracted a younger audience but also boosted our brand's reputation for sustainability.This experience highlighted the power of fostering innovation and taking calculated risks to drive business growth and market differentiation

Encouraging innovation is not just about embracing new ideas but also about creating a safe space for experimentation. When team members feel supported in taking calculated risks, they are more likely to think creatively and push boundaries. This approach not only drives progress but also cultivates a culture of continuous improvement and adaptability

Develop talent and deliver results go hand in hand for me. You have to deliver results to stand out, but since you are a leader, you are doing that by developing talent to deliver those results vs delivering on initiatives yourself. You may contribute, but it needs to be about what your employees accomplish vs you personally. You have to show how you supported and enabled them to achieve high results and success, and showcase what you collectively delivered on as a team. I also think the more of your employees who got recognized, promoted, or selected for professional development opportunities is a big tell vs just how many tasks/ projects they accomplished.

This is a big hurdle for talented contributors I've worked with. Many of them rather just focus on their own work. One thing that helped is framing it in terms of becoming a multiplier. If you're doing your job well, you're an adder. You add value proportional to your effort. To advance past some point it helps to become a multiplier i.e. to have a clear positive impact on the results of other people. We considered two main paths: 1) helping organize work for your team (broadly speaking - becoming a manager) 2) becoming an expert leader i.e. sharing useful knowledge so well that many others use it to improve their work

Continuous learning and applying them into your work with an objective to enhance the role and your personality helps in your peers seeing the quality of your contribution to the business, which also differentiates you from your peers.

Successful people are action-driven. They tend not to fall victim to analysis paralysis. But boldly charging ever forward has it's risks. It's also useful to do some: 1) intentional planning 2) honest reflection To do that in a concise way good questions are key. I recommend the following ones: P1) And what would you like to have happen? Be concrete: what will you be able to see or hear? P2) And what will happen then? (hint: ask this instead of "Why?") R1) What went well? How can you repeat, amplify or combine it with something else)? Contrary to a common habit it's important to start with the positive because otherwise why waste time improving it at all?

You only secure a promotion when your manager's peer's support your promotion. Find out any objections and nail them, and of course, have a sponsor. You stand out with your brand by solving big business challenges in a competent way with visibility and value. Give your work or initiative or project a simple and sticky name that people can remember and refer to. Sometimes your brand will be the "thing" you did, other times, it will be just you. And if you build your brand well, you can create the Midas Touch. Think in terms of portfolio you want to be proud of with great experiences, great adventures, with great people.

Get to know your business and your role quickly and thoroughly. Your level of technical expertise, when gained quickly, and a clear understanding of how your functions relate to others within your organization is a great way to differentiate yourself from your peers. Use your knowledge to make improvements, make the jobs and tasks of your teams easier to execute, and the connections and transitions between your function and the incoming and outgoing parts seamless. You’ll be recognized and rewarded for it.